Ex-Fresno State star Ryan Mathews making his point for the Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles running back and former Fresno State star Ryan Mathews says the yards will come. In the meantime, he’s happy with touchdowns.

In Monday’s 29-14 win over the Chicago Bears, Mathews rushed nine times for 32 yards and two touchdowns – one for 3 yards and then one for 1 yard on fourth down, both in the third quarter.

“Ryan’s such a workhorse,” Eagles coach Doug Pederson said at the Tuesday news conference. “You saw it in the second half of the game, he kind of took it over a little bit and made some nice, tough runs.”

Monday’s game was a change of pace from the Eagles’ 29-10 season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns, when Mathews had 22 of the team’s 34 rushing attempts. Against Chicago, Darren Sproles led the Eagles with 12 attempts for 40 yards.

“That’s how some games are going to be,” Mathews said on the team’s website. “It’s going to be hard and there are things you have to grind, but eventually the big yards are going to come; you just have to keep grinding.”

Mathews has reached the end zone in three of his last four games. It was his fourth career multi-touchdown game.

On his 3-yard run that made it 16-7, Mathews was stopped at the line of scrimmage but kept churning, “trying not to go down on the first contact and everything and just trying to find a way into the end zone.”

Mathews, who signed a three-year, $12 million deal with the Eagles last season, credits his coaches and teammates.

“We all have our little roles that we’re good at,” Mathews said. “We’re just working hard. Our players and staff are doing a great job of preparing us and getting us ready, and I think all of us as players are really behind them and the system.”

▪ Eagles linebacker Mychal Kendricks (Hoover High School) had three tackles, including a special-teams tackle. He suffered a nose fracture and a quad contusion.

Pederson said Kendricks should be good to go Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Rams make home debut with 2 locals – Los Angeles Rams strong safety T.J. McDonald (Edison High) and right guard Cody Wichmann (Fresno State) started in the Rams’ 9-3 victory over the Seattle Seahawks before 91,046 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

It was Wichmann’s ninth career start in just his second season. McDonald, in his fourth season, has started all 39 games he’s appeared in. He picked up a tackle Sunday.

▪ Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams (Fresno State) had three receptions for 26 yards, with the longest going for 13 yards in the Packers’ 17-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

▪ Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks (Hoover) had five tackles, a forced fumble, a pass deflection and a tackle for a loss.

▪ New Orleans defensive tackle Tyeler Davison (Fresno State) had four tackles – one solo – as he made his seventh career start, but the Saints fell to the New York Giants 16-13.

▪ Baltimore linebacker Chris Carter (Fresno State) played in the Ravens’ 25-20 victory over the Cleveland Browns. He didn’t record a tackle.

▪ Pittsburgh Steelers starting strong safety Robert Golden (Edison) had eight tackles in a 24-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. He had a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter and a pass deflection.

▪ San Diego Chargers offensive lineman Kenny Wiggins (Fresno State) was inactive in a 38-14 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Isaiah Burse (Fresno State) played but didn’t have a reception. He was waived by the team on Tuesday.

▪ Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson (College of the Sequoias) had a tackle in a 19-12 loss to the Houston Texans.

▪ New York Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson (Sequoias) returned from a one-game suspension and had four tackles in a 37-31 victory over the Buffalo Bills.